Central California Biographies
A memorial and biographical history of the coast counties of Central California : illustrated : containing
a history of this important section of the Pacific coast from the earliest period of its discovery to the
present time, together with glimpses of its auspicious future, illustrations and full-page portraits of
some of its eminent men, and biographical mention of many of its pioneers, and prominent citizens of
to-day (1893)
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Publishing Company
Author: Barrows, Henry D; Ingersoll, Luther A
Transcribed by Peggy Hooper
This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm
JUAN MALARIN was born in Peru, South America, November 1, 1825. He came to
California in 1849, arriving at San Francisco July 2 as supercargo on a sailing vessel.
After having disposed of his cargo he went to the mines in Tuolumne county, where
he mined with average success one year. After that he turned his attention to agricultural
pursuits, and was engaged in farming in the Napa valley for about four years. Then
for several years he superintended the San Luis Gonzaga rancho of 50,000 acres, situated
in Santa Clara and Merced counties, and became identified with the business interests
of San Jose, as a director in the Commercial Bank and a stockholder in the Electric Light
Company. He is the builder and proprietor of the " Monterey and Pacific Grove Street
Railway," which enterprise he inaugurated and pushed to completion in 1890 and '91.
Failing to enlist the aid which the enterprise deserved from other parties, Mr. Malarin
pushed the road through alone, against what seemed to be insurmountable obstacles. He
ran the first car to the Junipero Serra monument April 30, 1891, the day that President
Harrison paid a visit to the old capital, and to Pacific Grove the following August. The
road is over four miles in length, laid with twenty-pound steel rails and sawed ties, and
equipped with first-class cars, both open and closed, affording to the public an excellent
service. The grade is light, and the track so constructed as to be readily changed into an
electric road. Mr. Malarin has invested about $50,000 in this enterprise, and is doing
a great public service in advancing the material growth of towns on his lines. It is
safe to say that few men would have undertaken such an enterprise single-handed,
pushed it to completion, and built up for the same a prosperous business.
Mr. Malarin's father, Lorenzo Malarin was of Italian birth, and spent the greater
part of his life in the silver mines of South America. The subject of our sketch is a
man of family. He was married in 1874 to Miss Cristina Malarin, a distant cousin of
his, and their union has been blessed with five children.
Quiet and unobtrusive in manner, kind-hearted and generous in disposition, Mr.
Malarin is popular with all classes of people, and especially with those in his employ.